Diriyah Biennale Foundation

A catalyst for global dialogue between the growing, diverse art communities in Saudi Arabia and across the world.

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‏This curtain, used to cover the Ka‘bah, was made by order of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1411/1990, is heavily embroidered with gold and silver threads on a black silk ground, and its composition combines scrolling decoration with inscription panels and roundels enclosing verses from the Holy Qur’an.
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Immersed in darkness, all the viewer can see of Lutfi’s work, is a shimmering white panel encircling the room embroidered black Qur’anic verse. The kiswah, meant to protect and adorn the Ka‘bah’s exterior, is here concealed and made an object of contemplation, turning the mind toward Makkah al-Mukarramah.